Reporter: Carlo Iaccarino
The show took place from June, 4th through June, 7th 2026 at the Vienna Austria Center, in Vienna, Austria
Originally written: August, 2026
Website with plenty of resources: High End Society

Finally, Vienna

The anticipated première in Vienna finally came, after many years in Munich.
I am sure that you have already flipped through the many posts, stories, tweets, etc. that you found on the web almost in real time - even on this magazine's FB page.
So, let me go straight to the answer to the question: "In the end, how was it?". I'd say it went well, all things considered.

Let me briefly go through the only thing I found annoying: the show was somewhat too "scattered".
The building in which it was held was surely wide and apt to its task. But it develops its floors - there were five of them - in a "doughnut" style. So, to move from an exhibitor to another (eventually following the schedule for each demo) you must cover long paths, since you could hardly move along the floor's diameter. You could, actually, plan a "sequential" (and a bit boring) visit, one room after the next one, but even so, spaces between rooms were sometimes wide. Moreover, the show occupied four Halles, two connected to one level and two to another level, all external to the main building.
I hope that you can figure it out with the help of the following picture, graciously provided by H.E.S.

I also found it difficult to follow the indicators that were present along the halls and aisles - initially I thought it was just me, but during all four days of the show I heard similar complaints by other visitors, even by some exhibitor.
So, although I stayed for all the show's duration, I regrettably couldn't pay a visit to every exhibitor.
I walked a lot, much more than in Munich. Luckily, Vienna offers ways to comfort you 😊

Here my gripes end.

The show was, as always, interesting, with an international attitude. Maybe there were less people - exhibitors and visitors - from Russia; this should not be surprising, due to present international conditions. Nor did I see many US visitors and exhibitors - this could also be due to the fact that Axpona - the biggest US audio show - took place just recently.
I want to make a decidedly positive remark about the general attendees during Saturday and Sunday.
First of all, there were so many of them.
Here is a picture I shot at 9:59, one minute before the opening hour - I'm particularly grateful to Claudia Kazner, patient guardian angel of press members, who allowed me to sneak in just before due time, in order to take that picture.

And here is the shot taken the following minute, when gates opened 😊

Not only many visitors, but also differentiated.
Women were present, not as much as men, but neither in small quantity; moreover, they appeared personally interested, not just mere (patient) supporters.
Also the age of visitors varied - many young people, most of them with a curious attitude. I also saw something with an antique taste: little groups of youngsters that, with a handful of brochures and flyers, admired the exposed gear "live". Considering the extremely high prices, none of them - OK, very few of them - would have bought anything soon. But for sure this show attracted people that, in the marketing jargon, are defined as "aspirational". That's what we are looking for - something that ease the generational turnover. So, welcome to the aspiration at owning these toys of ours. This can today push this boys to spend their money on quality audio tomorrow, when they hopefully can.
A thought that suddenly leads us to the next chapter.

Sounds Clever

The first combination was proposed by the German distributor Audionext, who setup a system with gear taken from brands in his portfolio.
The system's heart was the PLAY by EVERSOLO.,

It already struck me last year when it was introduced. It is a € 700 all-in-one streamer-DAC-amplifier, very updated and with lots of functions.
The Play already sports a very good DAC inside, based upon the AKM AK4493SEQ chip. Yet, this Audionext system presented the X 8 by LUXSIN also.

It is a notably more sophisticated DAC (based upon 4 + 4 DAC chips CS43198 by Cirrus Logic), with variable output either with RCA and XLR connectors. It is also a headphone amplifier, that can drive balanced and unbalanced cans. It also has more advanced functions, such as the automatic regulation of the output impedance by sensing the impedance of the headphone connected, and the ability to correct the output response depending on the headphone model in use (they make available lots of presets that can be loaded). This (and much more) for € 700.
Seeing that it could be possible to count on a very good headphone driving, the system was completed with the NOIRE X magnetoplanar headphones by DAN CLARK AUDIO, for € 1,250.

With this gear we arrive about halfway in the range of € 5,000, and that would leave good margin to complete the system with a pair of loudspeakers. Yet, those were not included, I guess for the simple reason that the distributor doesn't sport one in his catalogues, dedicated to the so-called "personal audio".

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO proposed, for € 2,000, one of the many examples of loudspeaker with the system inside, the L/R X model.

It is a two-way, passive reflex, amplified loudspeaker, with an integrated streamer. I has line and phono analogue inputs and USB, optical, HDMI and Ethernet digital inputs. It also has a subwoofer line output. You can drive it with the unmissable app.
Cambridge didn't indicate it among the Sounds Clever system, but they exhibited an even cheaper (€ 1,400) model, the L/R M, which has the same functions, but is smaller and less powerful. Here we have a group photo that also shows one of the other available veneers. This series is completed by the L/R S model, even smaller and cheaper (€ 500), but maybe less interesting, being streamerless.

TECHNICS exhibited a similar proposal, the SC-CX700 model for € 2,500.

Not a new product, but always interesting: its' an active loudspeaker with streaming funcitionality, phono and line analogue inputs and optical, USB, HDMI and Ethernet digital inputs, subwoofer line output, etc. Its own feature was its coaxial driver - so much so that they exhibited a see-through model.

Very elegant, although (or maybe because) a bit old-fashioned looking, the proposal by PRIMARE, that, for € 3,000 exhibited its ALLT-I-ETT, literally all-in-one.

To the now common features of digital and analogue inputs and streaming funcionalities, this thing provides spatial audio using the BACCH system, that I had since met as a standalone dedicated solution with its own hardware and software to re-create an impressive 3-D soundscape. Maybe it is vaguely resembling a Mu-So, but with, for me, more pleasing aesthetic lines; and its hinged motorized display is really nice 😊

Much more traditional was the system proposed with gear by MISSION and WHARFEDALE, two old British audio glories, now under the IAG's oriental umbrella, overlooked (especially the loudspeakers) by Peter Comeau, another historic name in His Majesty's audio.

Their German distributor setup a system not only to be good-sounding, but also to show the possibility of growing up, starting with the basics and improving step by step. The result was absolutely pleasant: their people were so kind to switch on this system for me, yet other visitors kept coming; all normal, not business, visitors and all liked it. No fireworks or seismic bass, only a sane, relaxing music listening experience, not bad.
The loudspeaker were the Diamond 12.3i, by Wharfedale of course, for € 750. They were matched by the amplified subwofer NSW 10, again by Wharfedale, for € 600.

The sub gave a notable contribution to make the sound meatier, without the (bad) A/V excesses. Yet, the Diamonds could easily play on their own, and the subwoofer could be, as I wrote, that later update that can push the interest in audio to grow into a passion.
The loudspeakers were driven by the Mission 778X integrated amplifier: 2 x 45 W with analogue inputs (phono included) and digital inputs (the DAC chip is the ESS 9018MK2). It also has a headphone output and costs € 650. The system comprised the 778S steramer too, again by Mission, for € 950. Also this model has line outputs, balanced and unbalanced. Its DAC is based upon the ESS ES9038Q2M chip. Also this add-up is not necessary: you can start plugging a cheaper streamer or your PC to the amplifier's digital inputs, and later upgrade to a proper and better streamer.

In the above picture you can also see, between the two, the 778CDT CD transport that completes Mission's 778 range but that was not included in the Sounds Clever system that, as described, cost just a little less than € 4,700. That price included ZAVFINO cables for about € 1,000, whose purchase could also be postponed, starting with the default (or anyway cheaper) cables.

The last Sounds Clever proposal was the most unusual. It is dedicated to DIYers, people who are fascinated by the ability to directly control what happens in domestic audio reproduction.
LINKWITZ AUDIO (yes, that late Linkwitz's company) proposed a system based upon a loudspeaker that must be (easily) assembled using the given drivers.
It's the LXmini loudspeaker kit, for € 916. Here they are in rest, placed near the room's side wall.

Also, the system consisted of two AUDIOPHONICS stereo power amplifier (one for each loudspeaker, with each channel driving a single driver), the MPA-S125NC model. They are switching amplifier based upon NCore NC122MP modules, and cost about € 400 each. Each one of the four channel was driven by one of the four outputs of the 2x4 HD DAC/X-over by miniDSP for € 269, that was, in turn, driven by a PC.

Its sound was full and pleasant and (if for a moment you forgot it was a Linkwitz creature...) it was fascinating to be able to intervene on the loudspeaker loading into the DSP the filters proposed by the company or the ones you could create by programming the unit.

Outsiders

More complete and, for me, interesting was the proposal by FYNE AUDIO.
As you may already know, this is a loudspeaker company that moves within the Tannoy heritage. This year they introduced the Cubitt 5 model, a little amplified loudspeaker for € 650.

It has line and phono analogue inputs, as well as optical, HDMI and Bluetooth digital inputs; moreover, it has a subwoofer line output. One loudspeaker contains the electronics, and drives the other via a wired connections.
It's clearly designed for a close listening or for small rooms. Yet, given its HDMI port, it can also be used to upgrade the TV audio. It doesn't have streaming capabilities, but you can connect one of the many small oriental streamers now available on the market. Or you can connect it via Bluetooth to your cellular that streams music form an online provider, and that's how they were demoing it.
It is a proposal celarly aimed at a wider customer population than the restricted audiophile club; and this is demonstrated, besides its price, by the colours available 😊

Pit stop

For now I'll stop here: as a first part I'd say it's enough 😉
Fast forward to Part II.

Did you enjoy this article? You can support our free, advertising-free magazine, with NO “affiliate links” with a small Paypal donation using the button below. Thank you!

Copyright © 2026 Carlo Iaccarino - www.tnt-audio.com

[ Home TNT-Audio | Staff & Contacts | HiFi Playground | Listening tests | DIY & Tweakings | Music & Books ]